OSRS Commander Zilyana Solo Guide: Master Saradomin’s General in 2025

OSRS Commander Zilyana Solo Guide: Master Saradomin’s General in 2025


Soloing Commander Zilyana in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a rewarding challenge for players looking to farm valuable drops like the Armadyl Crossbow and Saradomin Hilt. As the leader of Saradomin’s forces in the God Wars Dungeon, Zilyana offers a unique bossing experience that’s manageable with the right strategy, gear, and practice. This guide, updated for April 2025, will walk you through everything you need to know to take her down solo, from preparation to advanced tactics. Whether you’re a mid-level adventurer or a seasoned PvM veteran, you’ll find actionable tips to optimize your kills and profits.

Commander Zilyana stands out among God Wars Dungeon (GWD) bosses for her relative ease and lucrative loot table. Unlike General Graardor or Kree’arra, her mechanics are straightforward, and her room layout supports kiting—a key solo strategy. Soloing her means you keep all the drops, maximizing your gp per hour, which can reach up to 5.2M gp/hour with top-tier gear.

The Appeal of Zilyana’s Drops

Zilyana’s unique drops are the main draw. The Armadyl Crossbow is a sought-after ranged weapon, while the Saradomin Hilt contributes to the powerful Saradomin Godsword. Even common drops like noted herbs and runes add up over time.

Solo vs. Group: What’s the Difference?

Going solo gives you full control over the fight and loot, but it requires more focus and preparation. In a group, damage is spread out, and kills might be faster, but you split the rewards. Soloing also hones your PvM skills, making it a great stepping stone to tougher bosses.

Preparation for Soloing Commander Zilyana

Commander Zilyana Guide Osrs Osrs Commander Zilyana Solo Guide Kunco

Before heading to Saradomin’s Encampment, you’ll need to meet some requirements and gather the right gear. Proper preparation is half the battle when facing Zilyana solo.

Requirements and Prerequisites

  • 70 Agility: Essential to access her chamber (cannot be boosted).
  • 40 Kill Count or Ecumenical Key: Needed to enter the boss room. Ecumenical Keys from the Wilderness GWD are a time-saver.
  • 3 Ropes: Required for your first visit to navigate the dungeon and encampment.
  • Combat Stats: Recommended 80+ Ranged, 70+ Prayer, and 75+ Defence for efficiency.

Recommended Gear Setup

Ranged is the meta for soloing Zilyana due to her melee-heavy attacks and the ability to kite. Here’s a budget-to-bis progression:

Slot Budget Option Mid-Tier Option Best-in-Slot (BiS)
Head Armadyl Helmet Crystal Helm Masori Mask (f)
Body Armadyl Chestplate Crystal Body Masori Body (f)
Legs Armadyl Chainskirt Crystal Legs Masori Chaps (f)
Weapon Rune Crossbow Bow of Faerdhinen Twisted Bow
Ammo Diamond Bolts (e) Amethyst Arrows Dragon Arrows
Shield Odium Ward Dragonfire Shield Elysian Spirit Shield

Note: A Toxic Blowpipe with a Serpentine Helm switch is optional for envenoming minions.

Inventory Setup

  • 4-6 Stamina Potions: Critical for kiting.
  • 1-Click Teleport: E.g., Slayer Ring or Teleport Tab for emergencies.
  • Prayer Potions (4-6): To maintain Protect from Magic.
  • Food (Sharks or Better): 8-12 pieces for sustain.
  • Ranging Potion: Boosts your damage output.
  • Saradomin Item: E.g., Holy Symbol to avoid aggro in the encampment.

The Solo Strategy: Kiting Commander Zilyana

Zilyana uses a mix of melee and multi-target magic attacks, both with a fast attack speed of 2 ticks (1.2 seconds). Her melee hits up to 27, and her magic deals 10-20 damage to everyone in the room—but only when she’s in melee range. Kiting keeps you safe while dealing consistent damage.

Basic Kiting Method

The core strategy is to run around the room while praying Protect from Magic. Here’s how:

  1. Enter when Zilyana and Starlight (melee minion) are far from the door.
  2. Pray Protect from Magic to nullify her magic damage.
  3. Run clockwise or counterclockwise along the walls, stopping every few tiles to attack with your ranged weapon.
  4. Use Stamina Potions to maintain run energy.
  5. After Zilyana dies, kill the minions: Starlight (melee), Bree (ranged), then Growler (magic).

If done correctly, you’ll only take damage from Bree’s ranged attacks, which your gear can handle.

Advanced Kiting: Stamina Conservation

For players with 80+ Agility, you can minimize stamina use with precise movement:

  • Start on a designated tile (e.g., “blue tile 1” from RuneLite’s Tile Indicators).
  • Attack once, walk to the next yellow tile, then run to a red tile and attack again.
  • Repeat this 12-tile pattern, hitting Zilyana up to 12 times per lap without her reaching you.

This method conserves energy, potentially eliminating the need for Stamina Potions entirely.

Dealing with Zilyana’s Bodyguards

Zilyana’s three bodyguards—Starlight (melee), Bree (ranged), and Growler (magic)—are weaker than other GWD minions but still pose a threat if ignored.

Prioritizing Targets

Focus on Zilyana first, as her fast attacks are the biggest danger. Once she’s down, tackle the minions in this order:

  • Starlight: Melee hits up to 15; kill first to reduce close-range pressure.
  • Bree: Ranged hits up to 16; second priority since you’re already tanking her attacks.
  • Growler: Magic hits up to 16; least threatening with Protect from Magic active.

Using Venom to Your Advantage

A Toxic Blowpipe with a Serpentine Helm switch can envenom the minions early in the fight. Venom deals passive damage, whittling them down while you focus on Zilyana, especially useful with weaker weapons like the Rune Crossbow.

Tips for Maximizing Efficiency and Profit

With practice, you can push your kill count to 25-28 per hour with mid-tier gear or even higher with BiS setups. Here’s how to optimize your runs.

Gear Upgrades for Faster Kills

Upgrading to a Twisted Bow or Bow of Faerdhinen dramatically boosts DPS. The Twisted Bow scales with Zilyana’s high magic level, making it the ultimate weapon for quick kills. Pair it with Masori (f) armor for maximum output.

Managing Supplies

Use Bones to Peaches for extra healing from minion bones (32 HP per kill cycle). High-level players can swap some food for Super Restores to extend trips further. Always keep an eye on your run energy—running out mid-fight can be fatal.

Profit Breakdown

Based on 2025 GE prices, here’s an estimate:

Drop Drop Rate Average Value
Armadyl Crossbow 1/508 ~30M gp
Saradomin Hilt 1/508 ~10M gp
Average Kill (incl. commons) – ~189k gp

At 27 kills/hour with BiS gear, you’re looking at 5M+ gp/hour, though RNG plays a big role.

Soloing Commander Zilyana in OSRS is a fantastic way to test your skills and rake in profits. With the right setup and kiting technique, she’s one of the most accessible GWD bosses for solo players in 2025. Start with budget gear, master the basics, and gradually upgrade as you get comfortable. Ready to take on Saradomin’s general? Grab your crossbow, stock up on Staminas, and dive into the God Wars Dungeon!